Despite tougher economic times, the county’s business community has raised thousands of pounds for the Variety Club charity, following the Kent branch of the Institute of Directors’ (IOD) Annual Golf Day event.

Teams of four gathered at the London Golf Club to take part in a stableford golf competition, including celebrity guest Sir Henry Cooper from the Variety Club.

Before play started, former heavyweight boxer Sir Henry handed over the keys to a new Sunshine Coach mini-bus to Canterbury-based charity Kent Kids Miles of Smiles, paid for by the fund-raising work carried out all over the country by the Variety Club. After the event, a dinner was held and the annual IOD Cup was presented to the winning team of Nick Crouch, Pegasus Home Improvements, Lee Lawrence, Lawrence Construction, Rob Hemmens, Hemmens Financial Service, and captained by Chapel Down’s Guy Tresnan.

Raffles and an auction were also held which helped raise more than £9,000 for the Variety Club.

IOD Kent Chairman Frazer Thompson, who played alongside Sir Henry during the golf, said: “This was another great fund-raising event and it was an honour to have a legend in Sir Henry as part of the fun. On a more serious note it was heart-warming and encouraging to witness the generosity of all who took part. The current economic climate is not the ideal backdrop for charity events, but we were delighted that Kent’s business leaders were still able to contribute a fantastic sum to a charity that carries out such vitally important work.”